UW Student Health Care Worker Tuition Program (UW-SHCWTP)

Each participating student has provided at least 50 hours of essential service to their communities and gained both valuable experience and financial support. … The program’s reach was remarkable as well, with students serving in a variety of settings, including hospitals and clinics, assisted living and long-term care facilities, hospices, pharmacies, and more.

– UW–Madison School of Nursing Dean Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN and co-director of the project

At a Glance

As Wisconsin experienced multiple waves of COVID-19 infections, hospitals and health care facilities faced staffing challenges. Baccalaureate, degree-completion, and graduate nursing students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and other UW institutions were able to fill critical vacancies across the state at this time of heightened need through the UW Student Health Care Worker Tuition Program (UW-SHCWTP). The initiative aimed to provide a $500 tuition credit for as many as 2,000 nursing and health sciences students within the UW System to help fill local health care staffing needs over the spring 2022 semester.

The initiative was led by the UW–Madison School of Nursing and supported with a $500,000 grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program to expand an initial effort supported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The project was successful as a total of 1,689 UW System students received tuition support from this program, with over one-third being UW–Madison students and two-thirds representing 12 schools within the UW System including six nursing schools. Additionally, work was completed across 79 unique zip code areas and included rural, urban, and suburban locations in Wisconsin.

The Challenge

As Wisconsin experienced multiple waves of COVID-19 infections, hospitals and health care facilities faced nursing staff shortages. During this time, there was also a critical need for qualified staff to care for elderly residents and individuals with disabilities in nursing homes and skilled care facilities as the pandemic heightened workforce shortages. Baccalaureate, degree-completion, and graduate nursing students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and other schools within the UW System were able to fill critical vacancies across the state at this time of heightened need. Many of these students were licensed or certified as Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), Student Nursing Assistant (SNAs), Emergency Medical Technicians (CEMTs), Nurse Aids, or personal care workers.

Project Goals

The UW Student Health Care Worker Tuition Program (UW-SHCWTP) aimed to provide a $500 tuition credit as an incentive for as many as 2,000 nursing and health sciences students system-wide to help fill local health care staffing needs over the spring 2022 semester. To achieve this goal, co-project directors, Lisa Bratzke, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAHA and Linda Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN, from the UW–Madison School of Nursing aimed to coordinate with UW campus stakeholders to market, distribute, collect, and process documentation of required work hours.

Results

The project directors were able to successfully implement an incentive program for students within the UW system. To maximize participation, UW-–Madison School of Nursing, UW System Administration, and UW campuses across the state began promoting the UW-SHCWTP to qualified students at the end of the fall 2021 semester. Communications and marketing included information for Handshake, an online job listing, and candidate management system used throughout UW–Madison and the larger UW System.

An electronic database was developed to track the work verification form submissions and processing. The work verification forms were disseminated to all eligible nursing students at UW–Madison via email, social media, and postings on student intranet platforms. Each participating UW institution required eligible students to certify having met program requirements including working a minimum of 50 hours in a qualified health care setting.

The program had a high level of engagement across the UW System. A total of 1,689 UW System students received tuition support from UW-SHCWTP including 1,151 nursing students from the six UW campus sites including UW–Eau Claire, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, and Stevens Point. In addition, students in non-nursing majors from UW–La Crosse, Parkside, Platteville, River Falls, Superior, and Whitewater participated in the program. Student work was completed in a variety of settings including assisted living, long-term care/skilled nursing, acute care hospital, and community/homes. Additionally, hours were completed across 79 unique zip code areas and included rural, urban, and suburban locations in Wisconsin.